Sept. 17 marked the end of the election year in the Arkansas River Valley — unless, of course, you’re running for a state or national office, then you never stop running, even if you already serve one office and launch a campaign for another.

Russellville had its busiest election year in a while with one election in August and two in September. The school elections were scheduled, of course, but we want to focus today on the Walmart zoning ordinance and 1-cent sales tax elections.

What surprises us the most — or maybe we’re most surprised that others haven’t mentioned the issue — is the number of Russellville residents who voted for or against a zoning ordinance that would allow construction of a Walmart Neighborhood Market — 2,924 — opposed to the number of voters for the continuation of the 1-cent sales tax — 1,528.

If those numbers are any indication, this means Walmart is more important to voters in Russellville than whether or not we continue a sales tax that will build an aquatic center and fund improvements in our city for the next 10 years.

We would hope, and want to believe, a decade’s worth of future economic development, capital improvement projects, water and sewer improvements and a place where everyone can swim means more to the city than the location of a Walmart Neighborhood Market. Then again, we remember when more people would vote for the next “American Idol” than would decide the next president of the United States. The way things are going right now, that could happen again when midterm elections take place in 14 months.

In the meantime, let’s keep talk of elections to a minimum — at least until the beginning of the new year.